|
At present the main concern should be to eliminate the LTTE
terrorists’ air attacking power. This cannot be done in air dog fights.
Their air attacking power should be destroyed while on the ground.
This has to be done with caution, careful planning and sophisticated
technology without wasting time.
India may have early warning and radar systems but what we got from
them shows how good the system is. If it is one time any one can
understand. But three times. there is no excuse but there is a reason by
some third party involved making hay while the sun shines. In other
words making money as long as the problem or fight exists.
The matter should be brought to the Washington D.C, especially with
high tech systems and destroy the terrorists air attacking power. Old
European saying “when you kill the tiger make sure that you have
separated its head from the body before you walk back”.
Also Police Intelligence Department should be doubled by the number
of officers and also a Special Intelligence Squad should be created to
look into the work of the Intelligence Department. Peace talks are good.
But these are terrorists who are aiming not for a little bit of land but
for the whole country.
Making pacts and peace with the enemy is like making a pact with the
devil. We should learn from what happened in Maldives.
PARAKRAMA FERNANDO
via email
International Cricket Council chief executive Malcolm Speed has
apologised for the umpire error which led to the farcical ending of the
World Cup.
In my view, the management of the entire game was so farcical that
Sri Lanka should be made joint champions.
The decision to reduce the game to 38 overs was made only on account
of time lost before the game was started. But the weather forecast for
the day was such that, it was impossible to imagine a 38 over game.
The side batting second was at a disadvantage. Rain started at over
16.1 and light started to fade by the 18th. Length of the day and
weather in Caribbean islands is such that further play was practically
impossible.
The umpires should have intervened and stop the match at that time.
As Sri Lanka was unable to complete 20 overs, match should have been
resumed on the following day.
Instead the umpires let play carry on under adverse conditions. The
confused players were compelled to chase a moving target making them
lose a wicket. The officials have now admitted that they were not fully
aware of the rules of the game. Therefore, the entire game was unfair
for Sri Lanka and we should be made joint champions.
We lost not just the prestige of being champions but price money as
well.
I sincerely hope that the Sri Lankan cricket board will have the
courage to mount a legal challenge.
Dr. E. L. Chandrakantha
via email
Anybody visits the zoological garden using the Municipal road, will
vouch the unhealthy, stench and precarious situation in that vicinity.
Both sides of the Municipal road have become regular parking space of
garbage trucks. Day and night, these garbage vehicles are parked one
after the other which emit unbearable odour.
Hardly a pedestrian passes through that way without feeling the
pinch.
These vehicles, laden with garbage collected from the Municipality
areas, are parked on both sides of the pavements congesting the road
which compels the passers-by to use the road meant for vehicular
traffic.
Added to this, because of Municipal authorities like Health
Inspectors’ irresponsible attitudes, residents are taking the liberty to
simply dispose of their rubbish by throwing to the nearest by-roads to
their residences.
As a result, there are trash bags strewn and scattered in every nook
and corner of the roads. Even the Pinvatte temple vicinity is not spared
or exempted of this menace.
The Dehiwela-Mt. Lavinia Municipality management takes immeasurable
precautionary steps, having utilised their valuable funds to offer best
of services to the tax-payers, particularly in the health sector. But
all their attempts are in vain or serves a very little purpose since the
environment already is polluted by sheer negligence and overlooking
attitudes of the officers concerned. Further, one can notice that most
of the manholes are without its iron lids, which pose a threat to
pedestrians.
A few good Samaritans have at least kept tree stems to warn the
innocent public.
M. S. M. Akeel
Dehiwela
I want to clear Lewis Regensteins (DN April 19) misconception on
Christianity’s position on eating meat. In the Bible, Jesus asks for
meat. Then, he ate in front of his disciples.
“Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of broiled fish and
honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them. (Luke 20:34-36) This
is clear evidence that Jesus ate meat (or fish). Therefore, Jesus was a
non-vegetarian.
TUAN RIZA RASSOOL
via email
Travel into the more rural areas of Sri Lanka (with a humble
attitude) and you are bound to come across hospitals that actually put
their patients above any cost. I should know... I was caught up in the
tsunami, and ended up on a breathing machine. Don’t expect better care
in the US ‘charge up the wazooo’ system.
Humble health care abounds when humble people take charge.
HENRY
via email
I write in response to the letter written by F. S. R. Jayamanne of
Australia to the Daily News of May 2 and apologize for the fact that my
article caused him or her to be appalled.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines the word “appal” as a
transitive verb denoting shock and terror. If an innocuous newspaper
article of mine causes a reader shock and terror I am truly remorseful.
I have been a regular contributor to the Daily News features section
over the past years, writing on subjects that interest me from a
scholarly perspective and which I consider to be topical and of interest
to the reading public.
It is a pastime which gives me great satisfaction and keeps me in
touch with contemporary issues.
If in the process I were to cause a reader acute mental distress I
should consider that my writings are nothing but counter productive.
The reader has also requested me to write for the ‘average’ reader.
Please be assured that I will commence doing so as soon as I educate
myself as to who an average reader is. Until then, I will continue to
write my articles with nuances that the more erudite reader would be
able to appreciate.
DR. RUWANTISSA ABEYRATNE
via email
Those in Barbados got their wires crossed. He is a good cricketer but
not a decent looking gentleman.
His presentation tarnish the respectable outlook of the rest of the
team. (Reference DN May 02) Malinga, you are a country boy coming from a
good cultural back ground. Therefore, do not copy what other cultures
do, grow up and look a decent human being.
You will be respected and admired by many others only if you change
your third grade look to a gentleman appearance. Be a role model to the
younger generation.
RANJITH CHANDRASEKERA
via email |
